What area does one 600w HPS cover?

whitewidow2

Well-Known Member
It seems i posted this ages ago and i still dont have a definitive answer... the chart is helpfull yes but it seems that people are divided on what is the ideal coverage for a 600w hps...

I need to know this as i will only be able to afford one light and i will have to pick a single grow tent to go with it and i cant choose that yet until i know the ideal coverage

i will be using an air cooled hood with it

at the moment i use a 250w hps and the air just blows back into my room - will the 600w run much hotter, im just wondering if i can get away with it raising the ambient temperature a bit or if ill have to vent that bad boy...
 

whitewidow2

Well-Known Member
For instance im looking on a website right now that says ideal coverage for a 600w is 1m x 1m and for a 1000w its 1.2m x 1.2m
 

patlpp

New Member
If a 400W covers 4 x 4, then a 600W would cover a 6 x 6 area
Wrong. Light distance / wattage is not directly proportional. (remember the square of the distance)

For instance im looking on a website right now that says ideal coverage for a 600w is 1m x 1m and for a 1000w its 1.2m x 1.2m
http://www.4hydroponics.com/lighting/lighting_help.htm

Seems to be an accurate example. To be sure, go to a hydro store and get a light meter reading on the display models. Good luck on yr grow
 

SickSadLittleWorld

Well-Known Member
How much affect on coverage does the hood have? Wouldn't one of those Magnum XXXL or whatever hoods cover more than a smaller hood?

I've got a 600 in a 5x5 tent and I'd get another one if I could afford it.
 

Danthebull

Well-Known Member

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patlpp

New Member
Ok so on that chart it says about 6.5ft by 6.5ft which is approximately the same as the chart that was featured earlier...

but here

www.progrow.co.uk/acatalog/Budget_Indoor_Grow_Lights.html

it says 1m x 1m for a 600w and 1.2m x 1.2m for a 1000w
Well there you go , Don't you think 1m x 1m is a bit conservative? Your'e gonna have to go see one in use and make your decision. Your question is like what is the best nute to use. Everyone will give you different answers. I gave you a documented answer instead of out me ass for u to make a decision. Hope it helped. Have you looked into digital ballasts? you can crank a 600 watter down to 400 or 500 as required to fit your grow area. I found that great cuz I may be growing only 2 plants so I set the 600 to 400 and save some electricity. Just a thought.
 

patlpp

New Member
Ok mate hopes this helps. I have 3 x 600w HPS lights. each is covering 12 plants. The size of the room is 5 square m. Few pic's below. My Lady's are loving the light and it i covers all the canopy. So the answer to your Q is.... Yes a 600w Hps will cover 6' x 6'.
:leaf::leaf::leaf::leaf::leaf:

P.s check my sig for the thread...

Dan
Damn nice grow !!
 

whitewidow2

Well-Known Member
Looking good Dan but my point is that 6ft by 6ft works out at 183 cm by 183cm which conflicts with what it says on the site i mentioned earlier which said 1m x 1m was ideal....


So the question is - what is ideal?
 

whitewidow2

Well-Known Member
sicksad i just had a look at your journal... very nice.

Is that just the one 600w you are using?

what are the dimensions of your tent?
 

resinraider

Well-Known Member
For a 600 ide say 4x4 for my concentraed plants. I would probly put shelves around the concentrated 4x4 and make it a 6x6. Face it, where ever light shines, plants will grow. Sure they won't be as nice, as dense and probly more lanky and stretched but that extra 20 square feet of space is an extra QP. I would not rotate the inner plants from the outter plants. Focus on the inside and the outtersides is jus extra
 

SickSadLittleWorld

Well-Known Member
sicksad i just had a look at your journal... very nice.

Is that just the one 600w you are using?

what are the dimensions of your tent?
Thanks. I hope they turn out nice. A few weeks left still...

Yeah, a single 600w lumatek in an xtrasun hood. The tent is advertised as a 4x4x7 but its really 56"x56"x78". Like I said earlier, I could easily fit another 600w in there to get ridiculous light coverage.
 

whitewidow2

Well-Known Member
For anyone interested ive been advised that a 600w covers 120cm x 120cm

makes choosing a tent a lot easier ie a 1.2m x 1.2m x 2m
 

chemphlegm

Well-Known Member
If you want the most of your light surround it with plants.
If you want the most of your plants surround them with light.
 

bigsteve

Well-Known Member
Somewhere between 4 x 4 and 5 x 5 square feet. My 1000W bulb is rated up to 8 x 8 feet.

Good luck, BigSteve.
 

Dynamo626

Well-Known Member
Wow alot of different answers. Heres the skinny. Acording to the manufacturers 400 is ideal for a 3x3
600 in a 4x4
And 1000 in a 5x5
Thease are the ideal numbers. If your running multiple lights hang them 1 ft closer than the ideal footprint. That allows the weaker light at the edges overlap and provide a more uniform canopy.
That being said.... Reflector size and shape plays a big part. Larger reflecters spread the light over a larger area. The store i manage has a xxxl reflecter thet has a huge 7x8 footprint but you sacrifice penetration for the larger footprint.
 
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